tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9726833.post110917889724716977..comments2023-11-11T19:20:51.515+00:00Comments on The Trouble with Tribbles...: Open Source or Open Binaries?Peter Tribblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363446984245451854noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9726833.post-1109623736887036052005-02-28T20:48:00.000+00:002005-02-28T20:48:00.000+00:00Phillip,
Note that I never said that the irreleva...Phillip,<br /><br />Note that I never said that the irrelevance of the source code to the majority of users was a good thing, just that it was the way things have been evolving.<br /><br />In fact, I'm one of those people who does like to build from source. But I'm having to admit defeat more and more frequently as more software simply won't build without enormous effort, and you're increasingly reliant on someone else's packaged binaries.<br /><br />Furthermore, recent spectacular successes of open source (read firefox, primarily) are largely on OS platforms where source code is completely irrelevant.<br /><br />It isn't good, but it's happening.Peter Tribblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363446984245451854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9726833.post-1109250250952660312005-02-24T13:04:00.000+00:002005-02-24T13:04:00.000+00:00With these last few exceptions, though, it seems t...<I>With these last few exceptions, though, it seems that the source part of open source is becoming irrelevant, and what matters is open access to binaries.</I>I'm not sure I agree with that.<br /><br />I would not class myself as an Open Source advocate, at least not in the "it's not Open Source therefore it deserves to die" way. But I still think it makes a difference.<br /><br />Think back to many years ago, before Linux took off. UNIX apps tended to be built from source on many platforms, PC apps were distributed as binaries. The former seemed to create an environment where the apps were either commercial (and expensive) or completely free, the latter created an environment where almost everything was commercial or shareware - you had to pay for everything. PC people marvelled at the fact that you could get free stuff on UNIX.<br /><br />If the Open Source part disappears I think the same thing would happen again and the open (ie. free) binaries would disappear too.Phillip Fayershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15083056161149456692noreply@blogger.com